Minutes of Meeting of the Transport, Environmental and Community Services Committee held in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 27 September 2007 at 2.00 pm.
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Present:
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Mr J Laing
Mr R Pedersen
Mr G Farlow
Mr J Rosie
Mr D Bremner
Mr J McGillivray
Mr W J Ross
Mr R Greene
Mrs J Urquhart
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Ms M Smith
Mr R Durham
Mr A Rhind
Mrs A MacLean
Mr A Henderson
Mr N Donald
Mr F Parr
Mr I Brown
Mr F D S Black |
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Non-Members also present:
Mr D Mackay
Lady Thurso
Mr G Smith
Mrs I Campbell
Dr A Sinclair
Mrs M E Paterson
Dr D Alston
Mr W Clark
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Officials in attendance:
Mr N Gillies, Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services
Ms T Snow, Head of Business Support
Mr A Thomson, Head of Environmental Health and Trading Standards
Mr R Guest, Head of Roads and Community Works
Mr S MacNaughton, Head of Transport and Infrastructure
Mr M Mitchell, Finance Manager
Mr A Yates, Principal Environmental Health Officer
Mr A Bentley, Principal Waste Management Officer
Mr B Donnet, Principal Service Support Engineer
Mr M MacLeod, Temporary Traffic Technician
Mr N Smart, Principal Engineer
Mr J Allison, Principal Administrator, Chief Executive’s Office
Miss M Murray, Administrative Assistant, Chief Executive’s Office |
Mr J Laing in the Chair
Business
An asterisk in the margin denotes a recommendation to the Council. All decisions with no marking in the margin are delegated to the Committee.
1. Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Mr R Rowantree, Mr P Corbett and Mr B Murphy.
2. Good News
National Spring Clean, organised by Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB), took place in April 2007 and over 2100 people participated in the Highlands, the highest number of any Local Authority in Scotland and the highest number per head of population. The Council had been awarded the cup for the National Spring Clean.
John Summers, on behalf of Keep Scotland Beautiful, presented the Chairman with the cup and commended the Council for the excellent performance. The Chairman in accepting the cup, expressed his appreciation for the hard work of all the staff involved.
It was AGREED that the Committee’s congratulations be conveyed to the staff in TEC Services involved.
3. Additional Item: Berriedale Braes – Trunk Road Improvements
The Chairman sought and obtained the Committee’s consent to add the following item to the agenda in view of the need to submit an application for funds to provide a flyover and road improvements on the A9 at Berriedale, to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to meet the deadline relating to the Strategic Transport Projects Review.
Members from Caithness explained that substantial, strategic road improvements were required on the A9 north of Helmsdale and, in particular, a ‘flyover’ at Berriedale Braes to improve communication to and from Caithness and thus attract inward investment. Such a project would have major benefits for the development of the Caithness economy and that to progress this, an urgent meeting of the Caithness Regeneration Partnership (CRP) should be held to discuss the proposal. As the Chief Executive was a member of the Executive Group of the CRP, a request was made for him to seek a meeting of the CRP.
The Committee AGREED that:-
i. the condition and nature of the A9 trunk road at Berriedale was not
conducive to attracting inward investment to Caithness;
ii. the proposal for a flyover at Berriedale Braes and associated road works
be formally submitted by the Council to the Nuclear Decommissioning
Authority for funding, following consideration at an Executive Group
Meeting of the Caithness Regeneration Partnership; and
iii. the Chief Executive be asked to request that a meeting of that Group
be convened as a matter of urgency given the short timescales relating
to the Strategic Transport Projects Review.
4. Revenue Budget Monitoring – 1 April to 31 August 2007
There was circulated Report No TEC-56-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services setting out the revenue monitoring position for the period 1 April to 31 August 2007 and the projected year end position. The report highlighted that there were no major issues or variances and that, based on the financial performance to date, it was predicted that the budget as a whole would be balanced at the end of the financial year.
The Committee NOTED the report and the monitoring statements which showed the revenue monitoring position for the period 1 April to 31 August 2007.
5. Capital Expenditure Monitoring – 1 April to 31 August 2007
There was circulated Report No TEC-57-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services summarising the capital expenditure monitoring position for the period 1 April to 31 August 2007 and the projected year end position and highlighting that the projected outturns for expenditure and income were £18.429m and £5.179m respectively leading to a balanced Capital Programme for 2007/08.
The Committee NOTED the report and the monitoring statements which showed the capital expenditure monitoring position for the period 1 April to 31 August 2007.
6. A890 Stromeferry Bypass – Urgent Remedial Works to Rock Face
There was circulated Report No TEC-58-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services seeking approval to carry out urgent remedial works to the rock faces on the Stromeferry Bypass.
The Committee APPROVED the urgent remedial works to the rock faces on the Stromeferry Bypass at an estimated cost of £250,000.
7. Revision to Business Support Staffing Structure
Following the revisions to the operational staffing structure agreed by the Transport, Environmental and Community Services Committee on 16 August 2007, there was circulated Report No TEC-59-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services setting out proposals in relation to the staffing structure for Business Support.
The Committee:-
a) AGREED the following revisions to the staffing structure:-
i. in Business Support – Administration
· delete seven posts of Business Support Officer
· create three new posts of Business Support Officer
· create four new posts of Assistant Business Support
Officer
· redesignate Assistant Business Support Officer (Inverness)
to Business Support Assistant; and
ii. in Business Support – Fleet Management and Maintenance
· delete three posts of Workshop Manager
· create two new posts of Fleet Monitoring and Control
Officer
· review Workshop Foreperson’s responsibilities; and
b) NOTED that consultations would take place with affected staff and the
Trade Unions and that the grades and methods of filling the new posts
would be subject to consultation with the Head of Personnel and would
then require approval by the Resources Committee.
8. Performance Management: Statutory and Internal Performance
Indicators for 2006/07 and the First Quarter of 2007/08
There was circulated Report No TEC-60-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services providing details of Transport, Environmental and Community Services’ performance, as measured by Statutory and Internal Performance Indicators, for the financial year 2006/07 and the first quarter of 2007/08.
The Committee:-
a) NOTED the performance of Transport, Environmental and Community
Services in relation to Service activities measured by Statutory
Performance Indicators and Internal Performance Indicators; and
b) AGREED that:-
i. Mr F D S Black be provided with figures relative to the Dog
Warden service in Badenoch and Strathspey and the number
of fixed penalties issued in respect of both dog fouling and
littering;
ii. a full report on the Dog Warden service throughout Highland
would be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee;
and
iii. recycling figures for each Area be provided to Mr W J Ross.
9. Food Safety Enforcement Policy
There was circulated Report No TEC-61-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services seeking approval of the latest version of the Food Safety Enforcement Policy.
The Committee APPROVED the new version of the Food Safety Enforcement Policy.
10. Responsibilities for Flood Management
There was circulated Report No TEC-62-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services setting out the current responsibilities in relation to flooding and advising Members that the Scottish Government’s Legislative Programme included a Flooding Bill. This supported the commitment by the Administration to work with COSLA and the Scottish Government to promote legislation to simplify the process of securing Flood Prevention Orders.
The Committee:-
a) NOTED the current responsibilities for flooding and the Scottish
Government’s Legislative Programme which included a Flooding Bill; and
b) AGREED that:-
i. the flood prevention leaflet be reviewed and that flood prevention
be given a higher profile;
ii. the Committee’s appreciation be conveyed to Mr D Mackenzie and
his team in respect of the re-opening of the Quebec Bridge, Glen
Aldie, Tain; and
iii. the Director contact the Scottish Government to ascertain the
likely timescale for a response to the Council’s recent application for
financial assistance to complete flood damage repairs and advise
Members of the position.
11. Draft Flood Prevention Orders
There were circulated reports by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which supported the commitment by the Administration to continue to progress Flood Prevention Orders for areas where there was a history of major flooding.
The Committee APPROVED the engineered drawings and the publication of draft Flood Prevention Orders in respect of the following schemes:-
a) River Ness (Report No TEC-63-07 )
b) River Lochy and Caol (Report No TEC-64-07)
c) Dell Burn (Report No TEC-65-07)
d) Millburn (Report No TEC-66-07)
12. Acharacle Flood Prevention
There was circulated Report No TEC-67-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services which made recommendations for the development of an alternative solution to the flooding at Moss Road, Acharacle.
The Committee:-
i. AGREED that the proposal to reduce the risk of flooding at Acharacle,
which involved lowering the level of Loch Shiel during times of flooding
and increasing the flow in the River Shiel, not be pursued due to the
difficulties in resolving environmental issues;
ii. APPROVED, as an alternative to the original proposal, the development
of a scheme to raise the level of Moss Road to ensure access was
maintained during periods of flooding; and
iii. NOTED that:-
a) the current Capital Programme only included an allowance for
design costs and did not include any funding for construction; and
b) the Director of Planning and Development had been consulted on
the report and would take account of the flood issues when
considering applications for development in the area.
13. Coastal Flooding – Loch Linnhe Tidal Surge Model
There was circulated Report No TEC-68-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services seeking approval for the appointment of consultants to prepare a tidal surge model for the Loch Linnhe area for use as part of a flood warning system in conjunction with SEPA to help mitigate the impact of flooding.
The Committee APPROVED the appointment of JBA Consulting to prepare a tidal surge model for the Loch Linnhe area, incorporating Corpach, Caol, Lochyside, Inverlochy and Fort William, to assist SEPA in their flood warning system for the area and to predict tidal surges in future years.
14. Flood Prevention Works – Mallaig
There was circulated Report No TEC-69-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services seeking approval to allocate funding for the construction of flood defences in the gaps between the Fisherman’s Stores in Mallaig which were being rebuilt following the extreme storm in January 2005.
The Committee AGREED to allocate £100k from the flood alleviation budget for 2008/09 to construct flood defences in the gaps between the Fisherman’s Stores in Mallaig to provide protection to community facilities and local businesses.
15. Glenelg and Kylerhea Slipways
There was circulated Report No TEC-70-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services updating Members on the position in relation to the Council’s involvement with the privately owned slipways at Glenelg and Kylerhea, which formed the landing facilities for the community owned car and passenger ferry operating between the mainland and the Isle of Skye, and making recommendations in relation to the Council’s involvement with the future use of the slipways.
The Committee AGREED that:-
i. a termination notice (five year termination period) be issued immediately
in respect of the lease of the Kylerhea slipway;
ii. the Council continue to provide the basic level of maintenance for the
Glenelg slipway for the next five years, up to a limit of £2000 per year;
iii. the Ferry Community Interest Company be charged dues for the use of
the Kylerhea slipway at an annual sum of £1000; and
iv. the Council assist the Ferry Community Interest Company to obtain
funding to carry out structural repairs to the Glenelg slipway; and
v. appropriate action be taken to improve the road signage to the Glenelg
to Kylerhea Ferry and that the trunk roads contractor be also contacted
in that regard.
16. Sconser Quarry – Procurement of Replacement Asphalt
Production Plant
There was circulated Report No TEC-71-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services seeking approval to procure a replacement asphalt production plant at Sconser Quarry, Isle of Skye and, as an interim measure, extend the Agreement with Leiths (Scotland) Ltd to operate a coating plant at Sconser Quarry until the new asphalt production plant was operational.
The Committee AGREED that:-
i. competitive bids be sought for the supply of a new asphalt production
plant at Sconser Quarry; and
ii. the current Agreement with Leiths (Scotland) Ltd to operate a coating
plant at Sconser Quarry be extended to 31 July 2008.
17. Objection to One-Way Traffic Order – Aird Avenue, Inverness
There was circulated Report No TEC-72-07 by the Director of Transport, Environmental and Community Services advising Members and giving details of an unresolved objection to the proposed One-Way Traffic Order in respect of Aird Avenue, Inverness. The proposed Order was part of the safer routes to school initiative for Hilton Primary School.
The Committee APPROVED the making of a One-Way Traffic Order in respect of Aird Avenue, between Dell Road and Temple Crescent, Inverness.
18. Minutes
The Committee NOTED the Minutes of the:-
i. Ross, Skye and Lochaber Licensing Committee held on 12 June 2007;
ii. Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey Licensing Committee held
on 18 June 2007; and
iii. Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey Licensing Committee held
on 31 July 2007.
The meeting concluded at 3.20 pm.